On 17/07/2017 5:19 PM, 'Dudley Horscroft'transitconsult@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:
>
> Yet I remember that in Swanston Street the '6 ft' was increased during a relay in the 1950s, supposedly so that the wider cars W5s?
> could use that road. I remember words about the "Devil Strip" being made wider.
>
Several track relays have included wider track centres in various locations, but there has never been a section of track where there was a restriction on using any of the fleet.
I attach a pic of a track relay where you can see a recent example of track centre widening.
http://tdu.to/Wider-track-centres_KeilorRd_6April2015.JPG
All the standard bogie cars of the MMTB from W to W7 are exactly the same width over the footboards - 9' or 2.74 metres. That of course is 9cm wider than the current standard for new trams.
I think that the track centres in Swanston St may have been made wider at the request of the Police - to give the constables on point duty a bit more 'wriggle room'.
The only place I am aware of which had any restrictions was passing movements on the curves at Balaclava Junction.
Mal Rowe